


An Offer; a Request

by BrassGoggles



Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: Family Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:13:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25081435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrassGoggles/pseuds/BrassGoggles
Summary: "Before you go, there is one thing I’d like to discuss with you,” Diavolo says, and I turn back to him.“Yes?”“It’s a business proposition, one I think you’ll be very interested in.”“Oh?” is all I manage to say at first. I wasn’t expecting that in the least. “Well, you certainly have my attention. What sort of proposition?”(Set a couple of years after Lesson 20.)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	An Offer; a Request

**Author's Note:**

> Howdy! So, full disclosure, I started coming up with this story several months ago, before the new lessons started coming out. So there are probably discrepancies between this and the latest canon. However, I like this idea a lot, and have been working hard on it, so I'm not quite ready to give up on it. Therefore, I'll try to finish this story before it becomes too obsolete. 
> 
> With that being said, I hope you guys enjoy!

“Guess who’s finally free from college finals for all eternity?” I ask cheerily upon connecting to the video call. On my screen, Solomon grimaces, giving me an accusatory look.

“I thought we had agreed that this was a school-free zone until finals were over for _both_ of us.”

“Oh, right,” I say, remembering belatedly that his school’s schedule was a week off from mine. “Err, sorry about that? I forgot you guys were slowpokes.” He grumbles something that I don’t catch. “What’s that?”

“Oh, nothing. Just a little curse I thought I’d try out. Let me know if you feel anything strange in the next couple of days,” he says innocently. I make a face at him, and he gives me a tired grin in return.

“Ha-ha, very funny. Sounds like someone could use some help dealing with exam stress,” I say, before flashing him a teasing grin. “You know, since you’ve still got two whole semesters after this one, I should probably share some of my tricks with you.” I clear my throat, then begin grandiosely “See, back when _I_ was your age, –”

Solomon cuts me off with a loud groan. “Not this again,” he complains, and I burst into a fit of giggles at the sight of his grumpy expression. Finding out that I was a year older than Solomon had meant that I finally had something to tease _him_ about for a change, rather than the other way around. And I’d made it a habit to take every chance I got.

“You’re certainly in a good mood today,” Solomon notes, his tone still slightly bitter. “Is there more to it besides just enjoying my misfortunes?”

“Aww, come on, I’d never do that for real,” I promise, still grinning. “We both know you’re going to ace your exams, just like always.”

“Oh, I know,” he agrees. “Still, that won’t stop me from worrying about it until they’re over. And you didn’t answer my question, by the way.”

“What question?” I ask, playing dumb. Solomon arches a brow, but doesn’t deign to respond otherwise. I grin. “Alright, alright, fine. Truth is, I maaay have gotten some really good news this morning, and I’m still kind of freaking out about it.”

“Oh? How exciting; when’s the wedding?” Solomon asks, a teasing smirk on his face. “Also, who managed to ask you first? I have my guesses, but –”

“Ugh, please shut up,” I interrupt, rolling my eyes. “For your information, Mr. Know-it-all, it’s actually human-world news, so you’re even more off base than usual.”

Solomon just shrugs, still smirking. “Fair enough, although I’m bound to be right about that eventually. So then, what _does_ have you so excited?”

“I got a job offer!” I say excitedly, continuing in a rush “It’s not my dream job, but it’s similar, and I’d be able to work my way up to the position I actually want in no time!”

“Wow, congratulations!” Solomon says, his smirk replaced by a more sincere smile. “No wonder you seem so happy. I suppose there’s no point in asking whether or not you’re going to accept?”

I laugh. “Yeah, not really. I mean, they told me to think about it for a couple of days and get back to them, but unless some sort of even crazier miracle happens, I can’t really see myself turning it down.”

Solomon begins to say something else, but is interrupted by an alarm going off behind him. He mutters something that sounds like a curse in a language I don’t recognize, before shutting off the alarm and turning back to the screen. “Sorry, I know we just got on but it looks like I have to be somewhere.”

“Oooo, is it super-secret wizard stuff?” I ask, only half joking.

“Unfortunately, no. It’s super-stressful study group stuff.”

“Aww, boo. Well, good luck!”

“Thanks. See you next week, if I survive that long.” I return the goodbye and Solomon ends the call. Shutting down my laptop, I stand and stretch, goofy smile still stuck on my face. I’m glad Solomon and I have kept in touch the past couple of years. He’s become one of my closest friends, not to mention one of the only people I can talk with about the Devildom on a regular basis. The others try their best, but it turns out my D.D.D. gets terrible reception in the human world. Solomon’s works a little better, and he has other means of getting news from them (though he’s always frustratingly secretive about _how_ he knows so much), so I mostly rely on his information. That, and the odd visit I get from one of the brothers every now and then.

I check my D.D.D. where it’s charging on my desk, and am pleasantly surprised to see that the connection is pretty decent right now. I snap a goofy selfie and post it to the group chat, with the caption _School’s out forever!_ It takes a while to send, but once it does, I don’t have to wait long before I get replies.

_Asmo: Ahh, you look so cute! <3 Is that the sweater I got you last time?_

_Yep! It’s still one of my favorites._

_Asmo: Of course it is! I’m the one who got it for you, after all._

_Mammon: Ugh, I can’t believe humans only have to go to college for a few years. We’ve been taking classes for, what, 50?_

_Suckers. :P_

_Mammon: >:/_

_Levi: Longer than that, I think. It’s not that bad, though._

_Mammon: Says the guy who gets to stay home and do online classes._

_Satan: Considering you still end up failing most of your classes, Mammon, I’d say the extra schooling isn’t exactly unwarranted._

_Belphie: Yeah, maybe if you weren’t such an idiot you’d be done by now._

_Mammon: Oh yeah? Well, you guys are all still taking classes too, so what does that make you, huh?_

_Lol, he’s got you there, @Belphie, @Satan._

I glance over at the clock and realize it’s almost time for me to meet up with my parents. It feels like a shame to go when I have the strongest connection to the Devildom that I’ve had in the past couple of weeks, but I can’t exactly leave them waiting. Sighing, I look back down at the screen to tell the others, interrupting the fight that had broken out in the few moments I’d looked away.

_Hey guys, g2g. My parents are coming into town for graduation and to help me pack, so I have to pick them up. Talk to you later?_

_Levi: Aww, so soon?_

_Asmo: Only if you promise to send more pictures next time! I want to see you in your graduation gown!_

_Sure thing! Tell Beel and Lucifer I said hi, too._

_Belphie: I’ll tell Beel._

_…And?_

_Belphie: Lucifer can read it for himself later._

_Lol fine, I guess that’s the best I’ll get with you lot. Bye guys, love you! <3_

* * *

“There are only so many poses one can do in a graduation gown, and I’m pretty sure you’ve made me go through all of them twice already,” I complain. I’ve been trying for thirty minutes to find a way to escape my parents’ never-ending photography session, with no luck so far. It was fun the first couple dozen pictures or so, but now it’s getting pretty old. “You’ve probably taken five thousand pictures already!”

“And you look lovelier in each and every one.” I groan, and Dad laughs, patting me on the shoulder. “One day you’ll want to look back on today and then be glad we made you take so many pictures of it, trust me.”

“Maybe, but –” Before I can finish coming up with my next excuse, I hear someone calling my name, and turn to see my roommate Maya dashing over.

“There you are, I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” she says, winking at me before turning to my parents. “Do you guys mind if I borrow them for a minute? My parents wanted to take a pic of the two of us together. You know, before they move five million miles away and we never get to see each other again,” she finishes, pretending to sniffle. I roll my eyes, patting her on the head to comfort her fake crying.

“That sounds like a bit of an exaggeration, distance-wise.”

“No, it’s completely accurate,” she insists. Mom nods her head, wiping away fake tears of her own.

“Maya’s right. I can’t believe my little baby is going off into the world all alone.”

“Ack, Mom! Not you too!” I protest, and she and Maya both burst into giggles, unable to keep up the façade any longer. “Ugh, you’re lucky I love you two,” I say, but don’t bother to hide the fact that I’m grinning, too. “So, is it alright if I go with Maya?”

“Alright,” Mom finally relents.

“But only if you let us get a picture of you two before you go!” Dad says when I start to leave, and I sigh.

“Oh, fine. I guess one more won’t kill me.” I do as he asks, hugging Maya close for the picture, and as soon as it’s done, we dash off.

“You two have fun! Don’t get into too much trouble!” Mom calls after us, and I wave back at her.

“Thanks, we will! I’ll come find you again right before everything starts, don’t worry!” I promise, letting Maya tug me along after her. “You are a lifesaver,” I tell her as soon as we’re out of my parents’ earshot. “Honestly, I thought I’d never be able to escape. It’s almost scary how persistent they are with that camera.”

Maya laughs, patting me on the back. “There, there, it’ll be over soon. Besides, I think your parents are cute for getting so excited.”

“Ugh. I think you mispronounced ‘annoying’,” I say with no real malice. Despite my complaints, I’m as happy for this day as I know my parents are. I’d just prefer to spend it doing something other than posing for a camera.

“Never knew you to be so camera shy,” someone says from my left, and I respond without thinking.

“Yeah, well, you would be too if you had to sit through so many photos at once.” My brain finally catches up to me and I stop in my tracks, whirling around. Solomon stands there, a casual smile on his face, as if it were perfectly normal for him to be walking alongside me.

“Finally noticed me?” he teases, smile turning smug. I grin back at him.

“Not my fault you like to sneak around so much!” I pull him into a quick hug. “It’s great to see you! I’d ask you where you came from, but I doubt I’d get a straight answer.”

“Those aren’t exactly my strong suit, no,” he agrees. “But it’s good to see you, too.”

“I thought you weren’t going to be able to make it until after the ceremony. What changed?”

Solomon shrugs. “That sounds like you asking for a straight answer again.”

“You’re still impossible as ever, I see,” I tease, shaking my head.

“Um, excuse me?” Maya speaks up, and I turn back to her, slightly startled. Guiltily, I realize I’d almost forgotten she was here. “Hello, guy I’ve never met before and would like an introduction to,” she continues, elbowing me.

“Oh! Right, right. Maya, this is Solomon, a friend from my exchange year. Solomon, my roommate Maya.”

“Nice to meet you,” Solomon says politely, offering his hand for her to shake. She does so enthusiastically.

“Right back at ya,” Maya says, a mischievous gleam in her eyes as she looks from him to me. “So, is this guy the reason you haven’t let me set you up with any blind dates these last few semesters? He is pretty cute, after all.”

“Maya!” I scold, my face burning. _Of course that’s the first thing she asks._ Solomon chuckles, shooting me a sly grin before answering.

“I’m not, no. But I could probably tell you who is.”

“Hey!”

“Oooo, really?” Maya asks excitedly, ignoring my protest. “So there _is_ someone after all. I knew it!”

“Can we please –”

“What makes you think it’s just one person?” Solomon asks, also ignoring my attempts to redirect the conversation.

Maya gasps, then turns back to me with a wicked grin. “You’re such a player! And you pretend to be so innocent. Now you absolutely _have_ to tell me!”

“Oh my god, just kill me know,” I groan, burying my face in my hands. They both start laughing at me, even more so after I give them each a shove. I join in despite myself, although my face still feels warm. “Alright, fun’s over you jerks. New topic, please?”

We chat for a few more minutes before Maya sees her girlfriend with a couple of their other friends and excuses herself to go join them, disappearing into the crowd around us. Not long after, Solomon’s in the middle of a sentence when he stops short suddenly, tilting his head as if he’s heard something. Then he turns back to me, abandoning our original conversation to say “Oh, I just remembered, an old friend of mine is actually here today, too. I should go say hi to him while I’m here.”

“What, really? I didn’t know you had friends at this school,” I say, raising an eyebrow. He’s never mentioned knowing anyone else from my school before.

Solomon shrugs. “I have friends in lots of places,” he replies with his stupid smug smile. “I’ll find you again later, don’t worry.”

“Oh, alright.” Apparently, he wants to go meet whoever it is on his own. “See you after the ceremony, then?” I ask, but he’s gone before I’ve even finished getting the words out. _That’s strange._ But then, pretty much every interaction with Solomon ends up being strange in one way or another, so I try not to dwell on it too long. _I should probably go find my parents again before I have to go get in place._ Right as I have that thought, something slams into me from behind, sending me stumbling forward. I feel arms wrap around my middle, and I panic for a split-second before I hear a voice I could recognize in my sleep.

“Alright, I win!” Mammon crows, arms still locked around me. “Idiots should’ve known better than to challenge me to a race like this.”

“Mammon?!” I ask after a stunned moment of disbelief. Then, before he can say anything I repeat “Mammon!” as I wriggle around to face him. Not easy to do with him hanging onto me, but I manage.

He has the widest, sunniest grin on his face, one I’ve been missing for far too long. “Heya,” is all he says before I’m flinging my arms around him and pulling him into a crushing hug. We cling to one another, laughing, both way too excited to hold a proper conversation, talking over one another in our haste to get the words out. Most of our sentences are disjointed, abandoned before they’re finished as we move on to the next one, but the intent is clear: _I missed you; I’m so glad you’re here; I love you._

Eventually, once we’ve both settled down a bit, I pull back from him again. I’m about to ask him why the heck he didn’t tell me he was coming when the rest of the Lamentation squad finds us, and I’m treated to six more rounds of hugs and laughter and ‘ _I love you’_ s. Asmo kisses me on the cheek and almost starts a fight, while Levi practically short-circuits the instant I touch him. The twins gang up on me, squashing me into a group hug that nearly cracks my ribs. Satan tells me in a hushed tone that he’s keeping his voice low only to make the others jealous, which I accidentally help him with by laughing. Lucifer, of course, pretends he’s only letting me hug him as a favor, not because he wants to, and refuses to admit otherwise when the rest of us call him out on it.

“I can’t believe you guys are all here! But why didn’t anyone tell me?” I ask when I finally get the chance.

“We wanted to surprise you!” Beel says excitedly, his brothers chorusing their agreements.

“Well, mission definitely accomplished!” I grin back. My face is kind of starting to hurt from smiling so widely for so long, but I don’t care. I haven’t seen any of my former dormmates face to face like this since Beel and Belphie’s last visit a few months ago. Having all seven of them with me again feels like a dream come true. We pick up right where we left off, all sharing the same excitement as we fill each other in on what we’ve been doing and what we’re planning to do. As we talk, I feel as if something clicks into place, like a puzzle piece I hadn’t realized was missing until just now. I’d been trying to convince myself that the limited contact we’ve had lately had been enough, but now I don’t know how I ever managed to believe it. _This_ is what I really wanted, to be surrounded by the people I love and who love me.

“Well now, _someone’s_ certainly up to no good,” Speaking of people I love, I hear Dad’s voice behind me, and turn to see him and Mom approaching, shaking their heads in faux disapproval. “I can’t believe you ditched us just to come hang out with a bunch of guys.”

“Mom, Dad, look!” I say, ignoring the accusation. “My friends from overseas came to visit!” That’s what my parents had started calling the demons after I came back home. They were under the impression that I had just gone to another country for my exchange year, after all, not another world entirely. A part of me feels guilty for continuing to let them believe that, but I haven’t ever tried to correct them.

“Ah, so you’re the ones to blame for stealing our child away,” Mom jokes. I see Asmodeus’ eyes light up, but don’t have time to protest before he speaks up.

“Very true, but can you blame us when they’re as beautiful as their mother?” he asks, his voice the opposite of innocent as he flashes her a flirty grin. “Good looks definitely seem to run in the family.”

“I – o-oh,” Mom stammers, unsure how to respond. “That’s, uh, very kind of you?”

I shoot Asmodeus a pleading look, but his grin only turns more wicked. “Now, now, don’t tell me you’re unused to such complements. Why, I don’t see how people aren’t falling for you left and right!”

“Ha! Looks like you have an admirer,” Dad teases, but Asmodeus isn’t finished.

“Oh, don’t worry, you look like quite the treat yourself,” he purrs, winking. “I’d be just as happy with a night out on the town with you. Or maybe I’ll just take both of you out at once?” Now it’s Mom laughing while Dad stands there, momentarily taken aback.

“Asmo, I know you’re excited, but please, _please_ stop hitting on my parents,” I beg. “At the very least, not right in front of me.”

“Aww, don’t worry, you’re still my favorite,” he promises with another wink.

I sigh, giving up and turning to my parents. “Don’t worry, he’s like this with everyone.”

“You mean we’re not special?” my Dad asks, pretending to look hurt. I give a long-suffering groan in response, making him and Mom laugh.

“Anyway, dear, are you going to introduce us to the rest of your friends?” Mom prompts.

“Oh, right!” I say, eager to move on. “Well, you’ve already met Mammon and Levi before. And now Asmo, apparently. As for the others,” and before I can think better of it, I start rattling them off, gesturing to who’s who.

“Oh! Those names are… um… interesting?” Mom tries after a beat, and I realize my mistake much too late. _Oh, god, did I seriously just tell my parents that I’m friends with both Lucifer_ and _Satan?_ They exchange a confused, slightly nervous look, and I begin to panic, trying to figure out if I can salvage the situation somehow. Maybe play if off as a joke?

While I’m still struggling to come up with something, Lucifer steps forward, centering my parents’ attention on himself. “They’re perfectly normal names where we come from, I assure you,” he says, his voice calm. My parents’ eyes go glassy, as if they’re not really seeing what’s in front of them anymore, and I can feel the buzzing, staticky sense of magic prickling the air. It’s barely there, to the point where I might just be imagining it. I glance at Lucifer, his focus still trained on my parents, and see the slightest hint of strain on his face.

“They… they are?” Dad asks with a confused frown. “It’s just that….”

“Yes,” Lucifer continues before he can finish his thought. “In fact, they’re not so strange to you either, are they?”

“No, I guess not,” Mom mumbles, while Dad just gives a dazed nod. I remember being told about this power before, but it’s been a long time since I’ve seen it used. It’s… a little unnerving, how Lucifer could say almost anything right now and my parents would have no choice but to accept it.

“Such normal names, why, you probably won’t even remember hearing them after today. So there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Yes, of course,” my parents agree. Then they both blink a few times as their cloudy expressions lift, replaced by the friendly smiles they had had before my introductions.

“Well, it’s a pleasure to finally get to meet all of you,” Mom says warmly, as if the last few moments hadn’t happened at all. “We’ve heard a lot of wonderful things about you all, thanks to a certain someone.”

“I’ll say; they almost never shut up about you,” Dad teases. I don’t respond, still feeling a bit dazed myself. Luckily, Asmodeus speaks up before Mom or Dad notice.

“Oooo, what have you heard about me? I’m obviously the favorite, right?”

“Wha- of course you’re not!” Mammon protests.

While Mammon and Asmo have my parents distracted, Lucifer gently pulls me a few steps to the side, keeping his voice low. “I’m sorry for using magic on your parents,” he says. “It was the easiest way to avoid a confrontation.”

I nod slowly, then shake my head to clear it. “It’s alright,” I say, giving him a small smile. “Honestly, I’m kind of glad you did. You totally saved me from an awkward conversation later. It was just… weird, seeing them like that.”

“I understand. Rest assured, it won’t happen again,” he promises, then frowns. “Well, so long as none of my brothers say anything too idiotic, anyway.”

“Eh, that’ll never happen,” I say, voice teasing. “But when – I mean, _if_ it does, don’t worry about it. I trust you.”

Now it’s Lucifer’s turn to tease me. “Good to know. Although most would tell you it’s foolish to trust any demon so wholeheartedly.”

“Hmm, are you calling me a fool, or referring to yourself as just ‘any demon’?”

“Well, we both know the latter isn’t true,” is his only reply, and I stick my tongue out at his smug expression.

Just then, I hear someone yelling my name, and Maya comes barreling out of the crowd to latch onto my arm, making me jump a mile high in the process. “There you are! Come on, we – whoa, what’s with all the hot guys?” she asks, getting distracted.

“Um!” I begin, but she rushes on.

“Eh, never mind, you can tell me later. Right now, we have to get going or we’ll miss our places!”

I jump again, startled, realizing that she’s right. “Ack, okay!” Turning back to the others, I say “I’ll find you all again after the ceremony, bye!” Maya tugs me along, but I stop again to call back “Oh, Mom, Dad! Can the others come to lunch with us afterwards?”

“I don’t see why not,” Mom says. “But you’d better get a move on!”

“Thanks! If you find Solomon, tell him he’s invited, too!”

“Ugh, come oooon!” Maya whines, still tugging me by the arm, and this time I dash off with her, giving one last wave as the others wish me luck.

* * *

It doesn’t take me long to find everyone after the ceremony, despite the size of the crowd. They’re being so noisy it’d be pretty hard to miss them. I’m in the process of making my way back to them when I hear someone calling my name from the other direction. Looking over my shoulder, I stop in my tracks, surprised, before grinning and redirecting myself.

“Lord Diavolo! I didn’t know you were here, too!” I say when I get closer, sticking out my hand to shake his. He returns the gesture, his grin matching my own. At his side stands Barbatos, as always, and I shake his hand too. “Hi, Barbatos! It’s good to see you two again.”

“Of course! I couldn’t miss such an important occasion for my favorite human, now could I?”

“My lord and I wanted to offer you our congratulations for completing your education,” Barbatos chimes in, giving me a polite smile. “It’s no small feat; you should be very proud.”

I blush slightly, pleased with the praise. “Thanks guys, that means a lot! The others and I were planning on going out to eat after the ceremony. Do you want to join us?”

“We’d love to-”

“But unfortunately, we have to be getting back home soon. My lord has his other duties to see to,” Barbatos says quickly, and Diavolo sighs. I laugh slightly at his disappointed expression.

“Ah, well, some other time, then,” I say, and Diavolo nods, his smile returning.

“Of course,” he agrees. I expect him to start making his farewell, but instead he says “However, before we go, there is one thing I’d like to discuss with you.”

“Yes?”

“It’s a business proposition, one I think you’ll be very interested in.”

“Oh?” is all I manage to say at first. I wasn’t expecting that in the least. “Well, you certainly have my attention. What sort of proposition?”

“One that’s best we discuss somewhere a little more private,” Barbatos suggests, gesturing to the crowd around us. I had almost forgotten about that, too caught up in the excitement of the day and getting to meet up with so many old friends again.

“Oh, right. Hmm, there’s an unlocked building next door that should have some empty classrooms. Would that work?”

“That’d be perfect. Please, lead the way.”

I shoot a quick text to Lucifer to let him know I’ll be back in a few minutes, then lead them to the other building. I choose one of the smaller classrooms, the lights flickering on automatically as we step through the door.

Diavolo makes his way to the front of the room, turning to lean back against the teacher’s podium, while Barbatos stands at his elbow. I hesitate in the middle of the classroom, suddenly unsure of what to do with myself. How formal is this talk supposed to be? Should I stay standing? Sit at one of the desks? I opt to lean against one of the front desks, similar to Diavolo’s stance. I fidget nervously, wishing I had something to do with my hands.

Diavolo takes notice and flashes me a smile that’s probably meant to be encouraging, although it doesn’t quite manage to calm my nerves. “You can relax,” he says. “We’re all friends here, after all.”

“Right, sorry,” I say, embarrassed. He waves off the apology, then gestures for me to sit. I do so immediately, more than happy to let him take charge of the situation.

“Do you remember asking me why I had decided to hold an exchange program?” he begins.

 _Oh, god, I hate pop quizzes._ Luckily, this is an easy one to answer. “Yes. You said it was to help in your mission to bring the three realms together, right?”

“Correct,” he says, a pleased look on his face. “It was a test run of sorts, to see if humans, demons, and angels were even capable of getting along on a small scale. An experiment I’m glad to say went better than I ever could have hoped for.” Sitting at this desk, I can’t help but feel like I’m sitting through an actual class lecture, and the thought distracts me just enough for Diavolo’s next words to catch me completely off guard. “Which is why I’ve decided to start the next phase of my plans. The Celestial realm will still need a bit more time to adjust to the idea, unfortunately. However, I see no reason to wait to begin opening up the Devildom to the human realm, so to speak. Which is where you come in.”

“Wait, what?” I ask dumbly, my thoughts snapping back into focus. “You mean you’re actually going to reveal yourselves to humans? Like, officially?”

“You sound so surprised,” Diavolo remarks, amused. “I believe I told you the very first time we met that that was always my intention.”

“I mean, I knew about your goal, sure. But I thought it was a long-term kind of thing. I didn’t realize you meant you’d be moving forward so quickly.”

Diavolo chuckles at that, then says “I’ve been planning for this for several hundred years, actually. I can promise you, I’m not rushing blindly into action.”

“O-oh,” I say. I have to admit, that _does_ sound like plenty of time to work out the kinks in any plan, even one as ambitious as his. “Well then, I wish you the best of luck. But what do I –” I cut myself off as it finally clicks for me, what he’s really trying to say, but it still comes as a shock to hear it out loud.

“I’d like you to be the Devildom’s official ambassador to the human realm.” I stay silent, my mind spinning, still trying to process everything Diavolo’s said. His smile drops a fraction, and he says “Of course, this is just an offer. You don’t have to accept if you don’t want to.” His smile turns teasing. “I believe I learned my lesson last time about signing you up for something without your say.”

“Oh! No, it’s not that I’m not interested!” I reassure, snapping out of my daze. “I didn’t mean to seem ungrateful, it’s just….” I trail off, shaking my head. “It’s a lot to think about, is all. I mean, it’s a pretty big responsibility. Shouldn’t you ask someone more qualified?”

Diavolo blinks in surprise, then laughs warmly. “But who could be better qualified than you? One of only two humans who has survived an entire year living amongst the most powerful demons in the Devildom!”

“Well, yeah, but I almost died, like, _at least_ seventeen times. And I don’t know how to be a diplomat! I’ve never had to do anything like that before.”

“I imagine you had to resolve quite a few disputes during your stay at the House of Lamentation, did you not?” Barbatos asks, speaking up for the first time since this conversation had begun. I nod hesitantly, and he continues “Considering you’re still alive, you seem to be pretty good at it.”

“But that was with my friends, not complete strangers,” I protest. “It’s one thing to solve a dumb argument between two brothers. But trying to help bring two entirely different races together? I just….” I bite my lip, feeling my cheeks flush with embarrassment. “I’m worried I’d just screw everything up for you,” I finally admit, eyes downcast.

Both demons are silent for a long moment. _I wonder what they’re thinking? Probably realizing they’re asking the wrong person for the job._ My heart sinks a bit at the thought, which puzzles me slightly. _Why should that disappoint me? I’m the one who’s been trying to convince them of it, after all._

Finally, Diavolo speaks, and I glance back up at him. “You once told me that you agree with my vision of uniting the three realms. But you never told me if you believed it was possible. So, do you?”

“I…,” I hesitate, thinking it over. “Honestly, Lord Diavolo, I’m not sure. I want to, but…. Well, most humans aren’t exactly as open minded as yourself. We tend to react harshly to anyone or anything that’s different from us.”

“As do most demons,” Diavolo says. “But I don’t. And you didn’t.”

“Well, I guess not, but I didn’t really have much choice,” I point out. “It was either accept that demons were real and try to move on, or curl up in a ball and pretend none of it was happening.”

“And you chose the former, which gives me hope that others will too,” Diavolo replies. I must not look very convinced, as he continues “I’m not saying it’s going to be easy. Trust me, I know how much risk is involved. But I _am_ saying that it will be worth it. And with someone like you on our side, I believe it will be a much more manageable task.” I blush again, embarrassed by the compliment, but feel my lips curl into a small smile all the same. “And as for your fears of not being up to the task,” he continues, “you would of course receive training from Barbatos.”

I look over to Barbatos, who nods in confirmation. “Of course. We couldn’t simply have you help represent us without any guidance. I promise, you would know everything you’d need to succeed.”

That _does_ ease some of the nervous knots in my chest, and I give Barbatos a grateful smile. “That would be wonderful,” I admit. I’ve both heard rumors of and seen firsthand his expert mediator skills. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’d be a good teacher.

“Does that mean you’ll accept?” Diavolo asks eagerly, and I swing my attention back to him.

I hesitate again, chewing my lip as I think carefully about my answer. “There’s still a lot of questions I have about it,” I say eventually. “Only, I’m not sure if -”. My D.D.D. rings, interrupting me. I wince, checking the call before switching it to silent. “Ah, sorry, that’s Levi.”

“No need to apologize,” Diavolo reassures with a smile. “In fact, I believe I’ve taken up enough of your time for now. You should go back to your friends and family before they start to worry.” I’m about to protest, but he cuts me off with a wave. “Why don’t you take your time to think on everything, and then get back to me with your questions when you’re ready?”

“Oh! That would be great, thank you,” I accept. I could definitely use some extra time to process all of this before making my decision. Diavolo shakes my hand, then gestures for me to go on. I nod politely to Barbatos and begin to leave, but a thought occurs to me and I turn back. “Do the others know that you offered me a job?”

I spot the familiar gleam of mischief in Diavolo’s eyes, and already know the answer before he speaks. “They don’t, no. I figured it’d be a fun surprise for them should you accept. Of course, you’re free to tell them if you wish.”

I grin back. “I think I’ll keep it a secret for now.” I exchange a last farewell, leaving the room. Once I’m out of eyeshot, I shake out my shoulders, letting the tension fall away. _Well, that was… interesting._ I send a quick text to Levi to let him know I’m on my way, then pocket my D.D.D. as he blows it up with ‘hurry up!!!’ texts.

I’m glad the others don’t know about my job offer yet. I don’t think I’d be able to turn it down if they did; they’d all be way too excited. While getting to live with them again _does_ sound pretty great, it would mean leaving my family – my human one, anyway – behind again. This time probably for good. Not to mention passing up on what used to be my dream job. _Wait. Used to be?_ I frown slightly. _Is it not still my dream job?_ I don’t really have a clear answer.

I sigh to myself, shaking my head to try to clear it. Everything was so much simpler yesterday. I was free from school, had a great job lined up, and really felt like my life was going in the right direction. Now, it’s like Diavolo has opened up an entirely new path I can take, and I’m no longer sure which one is actually the right one. It’s… confusing, to say the least. Also, slightly frustrating. _Ha! Frustrated with having too many options. I guess I can live with that._ As far as problems go, it’s definitely not a bad one to have. But it’s one that will have to wait, because I have more important things to tend to. Namely, a graduation party with all of my favorite people.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! If you have the time, I'd love to hear what you think so far! Either way, I appreciate you spending time to read this, and hope you enjoyed it as much as I've enjoyed writing it.


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